Meeting to be held in September for fires

A decision-making meeting over Cyprus’ fires will be held next month, at the behest of President Nikos Christodoulides, it emerged on Monday.

According to Agriculture Minister Petros Xenophontos who met earlier in the day with stakeholders in the Apesia community, he pledged to convey their concerns to the president.

“I can confirm that the president has asked for a meeting to be held in September, for an overview and to take important decisions,” the minister said.

The decisions include to what extent the forestry department should be strengthened and what action should be over the fact that rural areas are now connected to forests.

Xenophontos stressed “we cannot keep having fires. We have to do what it takes so as to reduce this phenomenon.”

He added that anti-flooding and anti-erosion works are expected to be done by the end of September. Towards the end of November and beginning of December, authorities will proceed to explore which areas will be reforested, the minister specified.